Required Fixes for HTML Files

ASPA-DCD classifies accessibility errors into two categories as shown below:

Required Fixes (RFs): violations that must be corrected and have direct mappings to either Section 508 or HHS accessibility guidelines.

Encouraged Fixes (EFs): issues that should be corrected in order to meet best-practice accessibility standards but are not required for conformance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act or HHS accessibility guidelines.

General Checks

There is content in the site that flashes/flickers/strobes more than 3 times per second which can cause seizures. This issue is a violation of section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.3.1.

Adjust content so it does no flash more than 3 times per second. If possible, remove the flashing effect completely. For assistance see: W3 General Technique #19

Linked PDF is Not Compliant

There is at least one PDF linked on the site which has at least one issue that makes it not 508 compliant. All PDF’s in the site domain must be compliant or have an equivalent compliant web page. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Make all PDF’s within the site compliant or create an equivalent html page for each. PDF’s can be submitted for full formal review by ASPA/DCD which must then be revised based on the feedback. For further assistance see: W3 PDF TechniquesWebaim PDF

Time-Limit Cannot be Turned off, Adjusted, or Extended

There is a time limit on interacting with content, but there is no manual means allowing a user to turn off, adjust, or extend. This issue is a violation Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.2.1

There is a time limit on interacting with content, but the method to turn off, adjust, or extend the time is in some way inaccessible. This issue is a violation Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.2.1

Certain content automatically updates on the page and there is no method for the user to stop, pause, or adjust the frequency of the updates. This issue is a violation Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.2.2

Disable auto updates or add a method that allows the user to pause / restart the auto update. Alternatively, a mechanism to adjust the frequency of the update can be implemented. For assistance see: W3 General Technique #4W3 General Technique #186

Moving, Blinking, or Scrolling content cannot be paused or hidden

Certain content is moving, blinking, or scrolling and there is no method for the user to stop, pause, or hide the content. This issue is a violation Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.2.2

There is content that needs an additional piece of software to be viewed. A link to obtain that software is not provided. This issue is a violation Section 508.

Add an accessible link to the required plugin to view the content in direct proximity to the content. Alternatively, a "viewers & players" link can be added somewhere on the template so that no matter what content is on the page, a user can quickly navigate to the appropriate software. The viewers & players link would then go to a page such as http://www.hhs.gov/web/tools/plugins.html.

No method to bypass blocks of repetitive content

No method is provided for users to skip past repetitive content such as navigation. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.1

A method to bypass repetitive blocks of content it present, but the anchor is incorrect and causes users to miss content or navigate past repetitive content. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.1

There is an accessible alternative provided but it is not sufficient as the original contains different or additional information. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1.

Make the original content fully accessible (preferable), or update the alternative to contain equivalent information.

Operational Instructions rely on Sensory Characteristics

Instructions are provided for operating content on the page but they rely only on shape, size, visual location, etc to identify the content. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.3

When text is resized to 200% with either built in magnification or resizing tools in the site, content is either not resized or becomes unreadable. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.4.4.

Restructure content so that the text is readable when magnified to 200%. For further assistance see:

Color

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Color is used to convey information

Color-only methods are used to convey information and there is no alternate means, making the information inaccessible to both blind and color-blind individuals. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.4.1.

A color-only legend is being used for a chart/graph that loses necessary information for understanding when converted to black and white. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.4.1.

Links

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Links are only identified visually by color

Links have no other visual indication from surrounding text other than color, and the contrast difference between the colors is not at least 3:1. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.4.1.

Generic link text such as ‘Click Here’, ‘Read More’, etc. is used, and there are no clues to link destination or function in the text immediately surrounding the link. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.4

Modify generic link text such as ‘Click Here’, ‘Read More’, etc. to a value so a user can understand the destination out of context and/or ensure that the text surrounding the link provides context for the link's functionality and destination. For further assistance see: W3C General Technique #53W3C General Technique #91W3C Failure #63

Empty Link

A link was found that does not have any actual text making it not understandable to users of assistive technology. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.4

Images

There are images present that do not have a text equivalent. The alt attribute is a required element of all img tags. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1.

Add an alt attribute to all images. If the image is strictly for decoration, set the value to null (alt=""). If the image is informative, add alternative text that captures the information gained visually. For further assistance see Webaim Alt textW3 HTML Technique 37W3 Image Tutorial

Alternative Text is Incorrect

The alt text of an image or the text alternative of a visual element does not convey the same information obtained visually. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1.

There are images present that need more detailed, more substantive descriptions that is not appropriate to put in the alt attribute. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1.

Add a more detailed description in the surrounding content, create an equivalent accessible version adjacent to the image, or create a visible link that takes the user to an equivalent accessible version. Best practices put alternative text at no more than 150 characters so it is not advisable to lengthen the current alt text. For further assistance see:

There is an image that visually conveys information to the user but has been included in the CSS, has an empty alt tag, or is otherwise hidden. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.1.1.

A video is present that lacks captioning or relies on automatic captioning making it inaccessible to those with hearing disabilities. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.2.2.

A video has either visual text or contains a significant action sequence which is not narrated making the content inaccessible to users who are blind or have other visual disabilities. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.2.5

Keyboard

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Visual Focus indicator is Missing

When tabbing through the page, there is no visual focus indicator to let keyboard users know which element currently has focus. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.7

When tabbing through the page, there is a visual focus indicator to let keyboard users know which element currently has focus, but it is barely distinguishable. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.7

Modify the focus indicator so that it is more prominent. Suggestions include a thicker border, or greater contrast when compared to the content of the element. For further assistance see:

Elements are present which are actionable by a mouse but not also actionable with simple keyboard controls (directional arrows, Tab, Enter, Space Bar). This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.1.1.

When tabbing through the page, the focus gets stuck in a loop on a particular element, preventing keyboard users from navigating all the content on the page. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.1.2.

Modify the element on the page so that focus does not get trapped when tabbing through the page. Alternatively, the element can be removed or replaced. For further assistance see: W3 General Technique #21

Same Page Link does not properly shift focus

When a same page link is activated, the visual focus shifts, but the programmatic focus remains at the link. This can be experienced by tabbing to the link, activating, then hitting tab again. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.3

When an element on the page gets focus, there is a major change on the page such as a change of keyboard focus, activation of a pop up, etc. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.2.1

Modify so that the change only happens when a user initiates action such as using enter, space, or providing an action button. For further assistance see: W3 General Technique #107

Tables

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Tabular Data Lacks Table Structure

Data tables are not formatted utilizing proper data table structural markup. Tables that do not have correct formatting are not accessible to users of Assistive Technologies because the relationships between intended headers and data is lost. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

The header cells for a table are located in a separate table from the data and need to be combined as the relationship between the two are lost. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Table Header Cells are not Associated with Data Cells for a table with multiple Column and/or row headers

Data table have multiple levels of row and/or column headers and lack the necessary coding associating the data cells with their respective headers. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Table structures are used to visually layout content, but the layout structure disrupts the intended reading order. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.2.

Restructure the layout table so that the intended reading order is preserved or, preferably, remove the table structure completely and use CSS to get the desired visual effect. For further assistance see : W3 Failure #49Webaim Layout Table linearization

Code Inspection

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Programmatic reading order makes content difficult to understand

The programmatic reading order of the page or part of the page does not match the visual order to the point that it makes it difficult to understand. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.2.

Adjust the programmatic reading order so that it matches the intended visual reading order. For further assistance see: W3 General Technique #57

Frames Lack Title Attributes

There are untitled frames, limiting the understandability of the frame and its purpose. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2

Though there are frame titles, some titles are inappropriate in that they are not reflective of the frame’s content or purpose. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2

A fieldset code was used to provide a border around certain content rather than group related items such as checkboxes for a particular question. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1

Remove the fieldset and use another means to give the desired visual effect. For assistance see: W3 Failure #43

Emphasized or special text lacks semantic structure

A piece of text has been emphasized or visually shown in a way that has special meaning but has not been marked up properly in the HTML. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1

Headings

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Headings are not properly coded

Text has been visually altered to act like a heading but the text has not been coded as heading. To Assistive Technology users, this text appears no different than normal paragraph text. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Heading tags have been implemented but heading levels were either skipped (for example, H2 to H4) or did not move down a level when a logical subsection was present. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

A heading was included to define a section of content, but it is either not descriptive or does not accurately define the contents of the section. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.6.

Modify the text of the heading to accurately describe the content of the section it defines. For assistance see: W3 General Technique #130

There is a label tag present with the form field(s), however it is not properly associated. The for= attribute of the label must match the id= attribute of the input tag. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and of Success 3.3.2 in WCAG 2.0.

Properly associate a form label with all input elements. For further assistance see

There is a label associated with the form field but the label itself has no text. Assistive Technology users rely on the text of the label to indicate the purpose of the form field. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.6.

A form failed to submit due to automatic validation, but the error(s) was not identified and/or described to the user in text. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and of Success 3.3.1 in WCAG 2.0.

The messages shown to the user as a result of input errors in form fields on the page are not accessible to Assistive Technology. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and of Success 3.3.1 in WCAG 2.0.

The messages shown to the user as a result of input errors in form field are unclear as either the error message is too generic, or a known suggested correction is not provided. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and of Success 3.3.3 in WCAG 2.0.

When interacting with a form control and making a selection (such as on a dropdown) the form submits when the user is navigating the choices. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.2.2

Modify so that the form is not submitted until a clear selection is made by the user. For further assistance see: W3 general Technique #80

The Function of a Button Cannot be Determined

There is a button present that is lacking information which a user needs to understand its purpose. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2

Alter the source code to allow assistive technologies to determine the function of the button. For further assistance see: Webaim Buttons

A form or process that causes legal or financial commitments does not have at least one proper error prevention mechanism. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.3.4.

Add a mechanism to prevent errors that either allows submissions to be revered, checks data upon submission, or allows user to review and confirm priori to submission. For further assistance see: W3 General Technique #98W3 General Technique #164

Remove the textarea tag and display the content as flat text with no form markup.

Grouped Form Fields Lack Fieldset and Legend

Form fields that are grouped together, such as radio buttons and check boxes, do not have fieldset and legend tags. These tags provide understandability for assistive technology users. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1

Unexpected change with no prior indication when a form selection is made

There is an unexpected change on the page when a form selection has been made and there is no prior indication to the user that the change would occur. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 3.2.2

Communicate the change that will occur when a form selection is made. For further assistance see: W3 General Technique #13

"Required Field" Indicator is not Detected by Assistive Technology

One or more form fields are required, but indication of that is outside the associated label of the form. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and of This issue is a violation of Section 508 and of Success 3.3.3 in WCAG 2.0.

Move the textual indicator of any required fields to be within the associated form label or add an ARIA required attribute to the input tag. For further assistance see: W3 Aria Technique #2

Formatted fields lack instruction

A form field requires a specific format in order to be successfully submitted but there is no indication to the user what the format should be. This issue is a violation of Success 3.3.2 in WCAG 2.0.

Add an example of the format in the label, for example Date: MM/DD/YYYY. For further assistance see: W3 General Technique #89

AT Review

Issue Title

Issue Description

Remediation Suggestion

Elements are not Accessible by Assistive Technology

There is content or an element on the page which is not being picked up by or interacted with using assistive technology. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Modify content so that all informational and actionable elements are available to Assistive Technology users. Alternatively a separate fully accessible equivalent can be implemented if the original element cannot be made accessible.

Content for Screen Readers is hidden

There is informational content intended for screen reader users that is not intended to be displayed, but also is hidden because Display:none or aria hidden = true was used. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Dynamic content does not alert assistive technology when changes occur

An actionable element on a web page triggers an update or adds new content with no change in URL, but there is no method to alert Assistive Technology users of the update. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

There is content in the code that is not visually available, which is being announced by assistive technology and is not intended to provide additional aid or instruction. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 1.3.1.

Remove the code that is causing assistive technology to announce the content or use display:none and/or Aria hidden=true. For further assistance see: W3 Aria Hidden

The State of a Page Element is Missing

Elements on the page that have a state or property are not communicating the state or property to assistive technology. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2

Add ARIA controls to allow assistive technology to determine the state of an element. For further assistance see:

A page element is using an ARIA role, but the role is incorrect or invalid and does not accurately portray the element to assistive technology. This issue is a violation of WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2

An expandable element is on the page and content is reachable, but the element lacks or has incorrect Role or State information to make it understandable to assistive technology. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2.

A Tabbed interface element is on the page and content is reachable, but the element lacks or has incorrect Role or State information to make it understandable to assistive technology. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2.

Modify the code so that the Role and State information is presented correctly and accurately. For assistance see the following implemented examples: W3 Tab Panel SpecsHealthcare.gov Tabs

A Menu interface element is on the page and content is reachable, but the element lacks or has incorrect Role/State information to make it understandable to assistive technology. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2.

Modify the code so that the Role/State information is presented correctly and accurately. For assistance see the following implemented examples: W3 Menu SpecsW3 Menu Tutorial

Slideshow Cannot be Paused or Stopped

A carousel/slideshow automatically advances and there is no accessible method to pause and go to individual slides. This issue is a violation Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.2.2

Implement a method to pause/stop the control and allow a means by which a user can manually move back and forth between individual slides. For further assistance see: W3 Carousel Tutorial

A Slideshow interface element is on the page and content is reachable, but the element lacks or has incorrect role or state information to make it understandable to assistive technology. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 4.1.2.

Modify the code so that the role and state information is presented correctly and accurately. For assistance see the following implemented examples: W3 Carousel Tutorial

Modal Dialog has incorrect Focus management

A modal dialogue appears that does not receive programmatic focus and is not immediately following that control that caused it to appear and/or focus is not returned when the dialog is closed. This issue is a violation of Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Success Criterion 2.4.3

When a modal Dialog Box appears, the content must either keyboard focus must be placed on the first actionable control. If there is no other actionable control, then focus should be placed on the close button. To ensure that the modal dialog operates correctly, code the dialog using ARIA. For further assistance see: